


Find The Light

by Redheadclover



Series: The Light Series [1]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-17 05:06:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28968768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Redheadclover/pseuds/Redheadclover
Summary: Not only is she a Captain of the Resistance and a pilot, but she's also the daughter of Hans Solo and General Leia Organa. With her feelings for a certain pilot named Poe, an inner pull towards The Force, and a past that has been blocked in her mind, Neyli Organa-Solo has an adventure waiting for her as she helps the Resistance in the battle against the First Order. POE X OC
Relationships: Leia Organa/Han Solo, Poe Dameron/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The Light Series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2124777
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

“Captain on deck,” I walked into the meeting room where a group of resistance officers, standing at attention as soon as I was entering the room, the noise was once again quiet as the monitor was in the middle and the current plans were drawn up and ready for me to see and approve on.

“What’s the report?” I asked, seeing one of the other officers coming over to hand me some of the papers that they had presented to me.

“We lost more men with the counterattack against the tiger fighters,” He informed me, having me read the numbers and see the damage that was on display.

“We lost at least four other pilots to the recent attack against the First Order,” I read out loudand seeing the names there that we lost the battle.

“We need more men, Captain,” The officer almost pleading with me as I looked over at him, watching him point to the monitor in front of us and the number of pilots we have left that were still alive on the left and those we lost on the right, “If we don’t do something now, we could lose all of our assault fleet that we would need in the future.”

“We cannot forget those we still have, Lieutenant,” I reminded him, walking around the circular table a bit more to see the pilots that we still have a bit more closely on the monitor, “The ones we still have been in our fleet for plenty of years and through plenty of battles.”

“Do we rely on our seasoned pilots, no matter how many we still have?” He asked me, having me still keep my composure there and nod my head at him without missing a beat.

“I would rather rely on our pilots who have more quality in their flying technique than try to recruit reckless pilots who do have the leadership skills instilled in them to bring us to victory,” I explained to him clammily as I placed my hands on the table and leaned against it slightly,”With these pilots, and the plenty of other seasoned officers that we do have, we know what kind of pilots we need in order to succeed against the First Order.I hope that the next time we recruit more pilots, that we don’t make the same mistakes as before,” It was almost a warning to them all right now and they said nothing for a moment or two before the doors opened again, all of us looking and seeing it was none other than our general.

General Leia Organa.

“Captain Neyli is right,” She said to the group of officers as she walked over to my side and looked at the monitors, “We must look at the quality of our pilots and their determination in those fights, not the number that we have.We may have a low count wit hour pilots, but that is not going to stop us from our mission of peace in the galaxy and our fight against the First Order, understood?” She asked the group, all of them nodding in agreement and having me look over at her, seeing her eye me now as she moved passed me.

“Meet me in my office,” She said to me as she passed by me, having me watch her move over to where her office was and close the door behind her.I had to sigh, thinking that I once again did something wrong and it made me look back at the files in my papers, the officers were watching me now for any other further command.

“Make sure the supplies are reloaded for another mission. Also, get the X-Wings fixed up and check on the droid of any other further repair,” I explained to them, seeing them all nod in agreement and then having me leave the papers there on the table for the officer to grab.It wasn’t that I didn’t look forward to meeting with General Organa, I have learned plenty under her command.it was just a matter of me not knowing what she wanted to talk to me about and what she had to say to me.

“Come on in, Captain,” I opened and closed the door behind me, finding myself in General Organa’s office and she was standing right behind her desk, arms crossed in front of her and she looked a bit softer at me than she did in front of the other officers some moment ago.In the corner of the room, dusting away at some of the trinkets there on the wall, was C3PO, a trusty robot that worked for General Leia.

“Oh, Hello Captain!Pleasure to see you again!” he said to me in his chipper yet robotic voice. I smiled at him as General Leia finally spoke up.

“Have you heard from you father?Has he made any kind of contact with you recently?” She asked me, her voice a bit on the lower side but gentle as I shook my head.

“No, ma’am,” I replied back to her, seeing her think to hers for a moment before almost looking like she was about to crumple down a bit.

“He’s never not contacted back here to me for this long period of time,” She explained, “I just don’t know here he is.”

“You have no way of tracking him?” I asked in curiosity, seeing her shake her head.

“If I know your father as well as I do, he knows how to get under the radar so no one can find him, not even the First Order,” she explained back calmly now as I could see she was about to be upset about it, “But then again, your father was always reckless, for the type of man that he is.”

“I hope that I don’t have that within myself, ma’am,” I said, almost in trying to make it a lighter manner of conversation and she grinned at me then, hearing the joke I had on my lips.

“You don’t, thankfully.Though you do have a bit of the adventurousness that he would always have within him, something that I have and always will admire,”

“Thank you, ma’am.” I thanked her, feeling a bit lighter about what she said about my father and I shifted a bit in my spot with my hands behind my back and my eyes straight forward. 

“You have been doing profoundly well for the Resistance here, being a good Captain for the others to follow and admire, I could be prouder than you,” She said wholeheartedly and a small smile on her face, standing now right in front of me and having me look down at her a bit since I had my height on my side.

“I have a good General to look after and take notes from,” I voiced to her, seeing her tilt her head to the side now as she then chuckled and placed both of her hands on my upper arms now, almost as if she was bringing me back to earth. 

“You know, you don’t have to call me General all the time, Neyli,” She reminded me, having me roll my eyes at her and give her a small smile.

“I don’t think it would be wise to call you mother in front of the men,” I countered, seeing her grin even more and we both hugged there in her office.I could hear her sigh against my shoulder then, having me feel how she was holding me there and she had plenty weighing on her shoulders since she was leading this resistance how all by herself.Hell, she could do it, but she was still only one person, and I was still there trying to help her in any way that I could.

“We’ll find him, mom,” I reassured her now in a hushed manner, “Dad will come home soon.”

He had to come home soon.

* * *

**Four years earlier**

“But why can’t I, at least, help and fly one of those fighters?Don’t you want me to help out?” I was having another infamous right with both of my mother and father, both of whom were not looking too pleased on my end as we were in my mom’s office now and they were not pleased as punch when I took one of the X-Wing vehicles to help in a mission that was needed.But then again, since I was the daughter of a General and a war hero, there was apparently more expected to me.

“You are not authorized to be flying on of those X-Wings, especially in the current time of frame that we are in.It is too dangerous for you to be flying out there with the rest of the pilots.” My mother reasoned with me, my father right behind her as some kind of support, having me huff and place my hands on my hips.My hair, brown and red in color, was shortly chopped then and framing my round face and my brown eyes, apparently the ones I inherited from my mother were giving them cold stares.

“I am a soldier here and a pilot, aren’t I?” I asked her back since I thought she would forget about my ranking as a pilot there at the base. 

“You are, but you’re not ready for something as dangerous as this mission that they are about to go into.You are going to be staying here on the ground until you can prove to me that you are ready to fly with the boys up there and hold your own ground,” My mother explained to me, having me swallow my own need to talk about to her since she was not only my mother but also my boss.I knew she was going to treat me like the others, I wanted her too.She was not going to treat me different because I was her child, but then again I thought it would be the same this time so I can join the boys.I guess not.I even looked at my father for some kind of support, but I got nothing from his face as I noted my head at the both of them.

“My apologies,” I replied to them, seeing my mother nod at me and I knew that was my cue to leave.I walked out the door, closing it behind me and sighing in defeat then.I really want do go and fly out on the X-Wings and fulfill my duty, but I also felt like I was being held back by my own mother.

“Did you think it would be easy for us to have her not fly?” My father asked my mother under a mutter in his breath.

“Han, don’t start,” My mother warned him.

“Come on, Leia.It was bad enough that we had to take the lightsaber away from her, but now her flying?” He asked her, having me feel a bit uneasy again from a recent memory of my childhood.

“It’s too risky for her right now, it’s not like when she started piloting.Not with what’s going on with the First Order,” My mother said to him in a careful way, having em finally move away from the door now and get over to where my living quarters.I didn’t want to think about it anymore, it was just draining me and having me think that I was not going to get anywhere.

* * *

My own living quarter was small enough for me, a snug bed in the corner and a desk at the foot of it near the wall, gadgets and wires all over the top and pouring out over the sides of the desk and some X-Wing schematics on the walls pinned there.All of the pilots, when starting out, would have a living quarters like this until they get promoted or placed in a new facility. 

I liked it enough, the tight quarters there and how it felt so snug within my own area.Some of the other pilots would think that I would have a high rolling like a place, on a count of who my mother was, but I refused.I wanted it like the rest of the men, and I wanted it to be an equal playing field. 

Stripping off my combat jacket, I plopped down at the desk in the chair, running my fingers in my hair and trying to find my peace again.It was one of those moments, many moments of course, that I really wondered if I made the right choice of being a pilot under my mother, was it really worth it?I had to think it was since I knew about the good side of the galaxy more than the bad. 

A sudden beep was heard, along with a few sounds of a droid coming in from outside in the hallway.I grinned, knowing who that was and I looked behind me, a small droid of white and orange popping his head in and buzzing at me excitedly. 

BB-8

“Hello you,” I said to him as he rolled into my room.A few clicks and swirls were heard.

“No, I did not have a fight with my parents if that’s what you’re wondering,” I replied, seeing him gurgle at me a few more times before I heard a knock at the door.I grinned, not looking up at who it was since I knew who it was.There would be only one person that would ever knock at my door since others would either just walk in or call out before walking in.

“Hello Poe,” I said in a smile, looking up at Poe Dameron, one of the best pilots there was at the base and for the Resistance.He was a bit of a hero thought the rest of the pilots, and yet he’s been flying the same amount of time as I have been flying.I was a bit younger than him, but he was flying like he’s a seasoned veteran of the trade for over 30 years.He was reckless, loyal to a fault, and not to mention, a great friend for someone to have.So, it was fair that we were just becoming closer as friends. 

“How do you know it’s me?” He asked me in a cocky grin, having me try and avoid the fact that I was feeling a bit warm all of from that one smile that he had.That was another thing that I never thought would happen to me, having feelings for the pilot.Sure, he was handsome and some of the other women on the base were caught looking at him for a bit too long when he would walk by, and the way he would walk like he was a Jedi on water was another thing.But to me, it was his kindness.There was not one person whom he was mean or cold hearted too, nor was he cocky enough to be snarked at by others.No, he was well liked young man there on the base.

“You’re the only person that would ever knock to come and see me,” I reminded him, seeing him thunk about it for a moment to himself and he nodded in agreement.BB-8 beeped again at me, moving my attention from Poe to his droid.

“What’s broken?” I asked BB-8 now, Poe moving more into the room.

“There’s a busted wire there in his hard wire and I don’t think the mechanics can do a thing about it, and since you’re pretty good with the droids and the hard wire, I figured you would take a look at him?” Poe asked in a suggestion, having me roll my eyes and hop off my chair to get down and sit Indian style in front of BB-8. 

“Show me where it hurts,” I joked with BB-8, seeing him roll a bit at an area where I could see was a bit rough and I started to get to work there.I worked on droids here and there when I was here on the base, it made me happy to just work through the droids and get my mind back in ease.BB-8 was a good droid to work on, a quirky one at that.Of course he would belong to Poe, it made perfect sense. 

“I heard you got grounded from flying with us tomorrow,” Poe was making small talk, standing and leaning against the wall with his hands crossed in front of him, tilting his head at me.

“Already I’m being talk about with the others?” I asked back to him, hearing him snicker a bit.

“You are the general’s daughter, so they can’t help but talk,” Poe reasoned with me now as I grinned widely, getting some wires out of the way in BB-8 for me to see the real problem. 

“Yeah well, the general does not want me to go out on this mission,” I explained as I snapped another piece of equipment in place. 

“You’re a good pilot,” Poe said in alight manner.

“Thanks, but that won’t convince them,” I replied, getting the last bit down with BB-8 and hearing him whizz in glee.I had to chuckle, leave it to BB-8 to have it light in such an award conversation.

“You’re quite welcome, and no more being a rebellious droid.Your master needs you,” I reminded BB-8 then and he beeped right back at me in agreement.I got up from the sitting position I was in, standing in front of Poe and cracking my knuckles in the process, “Where are they making you had out on the mission coming up?”

“A distant planet for some information rounding, basic protocol.Nothing big involving The First Order yet,” He said to me in a nonchalant tone.

“That’s good,” I voiced back to him.

“Eh, I think they would have gotten a better job for me to do,” he commented, having em shake my head and how he really wasn’t looking forward to it.

“Hey, at least you get to go fly,” I reminded him, “You’re the best one here anyhow.”The way he grinned at me, it could make any other girl look at him and want to melt to the floor.I had to admit, he had me a bit too.It was another thing that I had to battle myself with, my feelings for the pilot and how I never saw myself in the same level playing field as him. 

“Thanks, Neyli,” He thanked me, sounded so sincere about it.

“You’re welcome, Poe,” I replied, our eyes still locking for a moment or two before BB-8 slammed into Poe then and Poe yelped out in the quick pain.

“Okay, Okay we’ll go!” He said in a huff now as BB-8 rolled out of my room then.Poe followed suit with me grinning from their playful banter and he then turned to looked at me one more time, “Thanks again for BB-8.We’ll talk again for sure, right?”

“You got it, Poe.” I said back to him, seeing him pause for another moment or two before I said one more thing to him, “May the Force be with you.”he nodded to me then and then moved out of the room.It was a typical thing for me, to deny the feelings I had for another pilot and call them childish and silly.How long was the denial going to be?


	2. Chapter 2

**Planet Naboo**

**26 years ago**

_“Come on Neyli, come chase me!” Ben and I would run around in ourhome in Naboo, the cooling trees and the beautiful sun following us as we would run through the garden that was outside our home that we lived in.I missed that home, it was nice and tucked away from the city where our mother was serving for a short period of time as a politician and was in a meeting to talk with the current Queen.At the time, I didn’t know what it was about since I was still too young to understand, but all I could understand was my beautiful home and my brother playing with me._

_“Not so fast, Ben!” I called out to him as he was turning and running in the garden._

_“You can keep up!You’re faster than me!” He said over his shoulder at me now as we were now along a large grassy field near the many cliffs of Naboo.I could hear the distant waterfalls and the humming of the planet below us and the feel of the grass under my fingertips and palms._

_I finally tagged my brother, seeing him chuckle and we both fell to the floor and almost toppled on one another in a heap.His hair, as dark as the night, somehow was shining brightly in the morning sun as my was lighter and more fuller of the warmth.The one thing we both had with each other, the one common thing that we both can rely on each other, as our chocolate eyes that we both inherited from our parents._

_“Young Masters!You must stay over here where we can see you or you shall certainly be lost!” Once again, our faithful robot who was tinted in gold and has such an authoritative voice there that was on the brink of nervousness as he trotted over to our area finally, his stiff arms were waving in such a frantic rate._

_“Master Ben and Master Neyli, your mother shall be worried sick if you don’t come back very soon!” C3P0 called out to us, the both of us popping our heads up from over the tall green grass!_

_“Where's mom?” I asked him as we both jogged over to CP3O._

_“She’s back at your home, talking to one of the senators in a very important matter,” he replied to us now as Ben wipe the dust off his pants and grinned._

_“Come on then, I don’t want us to get in too much trouble with mom,” Ben said to me, having the three of us walking together back to our home.I looked back at the cliffs once more, seeing the evergreens and the distant capital city and it’s glorious buildings and waterfalls there.I wished that I could stay there forever, the perfect place for us to live and to play as children._

_“The Republic is in need of aid of Naboo, thank goodness for the Queen to bring that aid when we need it the most,” I could hear my mother talking to someone as my brother and I came over to the house over near the side door, the both of us seeing my mother there talking to someone else._

_“Young ones should not listen to such things, come on now,” C3PO said to the both of us as he walked away over to our room, thinking we were following him.But Ben and I stayed behind, the curious children that we were wanting to hear what was going on, and thankfully C3PO did not check to see if we were following.We both looked around the corner, out of sight, and heard more of the conversation._

_“But that’s not the only thing on my plate right now,” our mother said in a low tone, “My brother is convinced that the children should be trained with him, along with the others that he’s found that were force-sensitive.”_

_“But they are still young aren’t they?” another voice asked my mother now, “What does Han think?”_

_“Han is still on the fence with it, and yes they are a bit older than they should be, but my brother is getting a strong sense that they both need to train now than later,” my mother sounded more grave about it bringing up my father and then my Uncle._

_“What’s going on, Leia?” The second voice asked, a pause there hanging in the balance now as I was wondering what was making my mother sounded so sad and unsure of herself, something that was not normal for even my mother to experience,_

_“Luke was sensing a shift of The Force in the children,” She said in a quiet manner now, having me hear Ben move a bit behind me since he was perched over me to hear what was going on, “He’s more afraid of what is going on with Ben than Neyli.Ben’s more….reckless according to Luke.”_

_“He’s a young boy, they have reckless tendencies,” The other tried to reason with my mother._

_“No, he sees…his grandfather in him,” I didn’t know what to think of that then, hearing nothing behind me and having me look to see Ben.But he wasn’t there, I watched him as he was walking down the hallway with his head bowed and fists at his side._

* * *

**Planet D’Qar**

**2 years ago**

I snapped awake from my dream, gasping for air and hoping that I could find it somewhere as that image still flashing in my head.Naboo, the bright sunlight and the tall green grass under my fingers.Once again it was one of those dreams and memories that were both hazy, almost out of my reach, and vivid and chaotic.Why was it so vivid and yet so blurry?Why were these dreams haunting me like I was experiencing it for the first time?

It was dark in my room, dark and almost glowing from my monitor on my desk, having me sit up completely and place my feet over the side onto the floor so I can feel the tile on the ground beneath my toes.It was another night of relentless dreams and memories I thought I lost and never found again, or were too good to be true.When it came to something like this, I would go out to my X-Wing and try to rethink those dreams out again, finding a familiar place that I knew was my safety net for times like this.

The hanger was quiet, my own X-Wing was the third one on the left and sitting there like the others in that dark hanger as I walked over with a lantern and notebook in hand, pencil behind my hear and my clothed jacket wrapped around me.The cool of the hanger was inviting to me as I sat on one of the wings of my vehicle, my feet dangling in the air and my pencil already at work in the notebook as I was writing down every part of my dreams.It was better to have it on paper and fresh for me to read back later than to forget.Some nights were better than others, but these dreams were becoming more frequently than any other time before when I was younger.Why now?

At first, there was silence there in the hanger since I was the only one in there, but I then heard another round of beeping that made me look up from my notebook and see a droid coming over to my direction.I didn’t see who it was at first, but I realized that it was my own droid that I would work with on my plane: Q4-Q2, or as how I would like to call him, Q2.

“You need to be back in your own barracks, Q2,” I reminded him, my own little droid who was silver all over with some green accents here and there.He was a good droid, having me remember when I was first given him for my first flight and since then we were good friends.Q2 was very much loyal to me, never leaving my side until I asked him to.Q2 hummed a bit at me, beeping more or twice and then having me eye him.

“No, I will come back soon.” I reminded him, hearing another round of whirling, “It’s not like that at all.It’s just another dream is all.And I shouldn’t be telling you this any who.”

“No, you should be talking to me about it,” The voice was broken into the quiet of the hanger again, having myself look over as well as Q2 to see who it was.I knew who it was, the familiar voice that could calm any storm or any situation, both soothing and determined.It was Poe, walking into the hanger with his combat training gear that was loose on him and his walk was calm and collective. 

“What are you doing out here all by yourself?” he asked me in a surprising manner, seeing me up high on my x-Wing and placing my notebook on my side there.

“Can’t sleep,” I replied to him as he walked over a bit closer to me and I heard a couple more rounds of wheezing and beeping from Q2, “You, off to bed before you get in trouble.I’ll be fine on my own,”Q2 beeped once more before rolling off back over to the living quarters, Poe grinding as he watched the droid roll away.Poe grinned and looked at me, pointing to the droid as he was swallowed into the darkness

“He looks out for you I take it?” he asked me in curiosity now and in a grin there too as he was near the ladder that would lead him up and over to me.

“As does BB-8 does for you,” I replied back to him, seeing him nod in agreement, “As I recall that little unit of your is more prone to electrocute the pilots that are not in your favor.”

“Hey!That was once and it was for a pure accident,” he tried to reason with me, having me chuckle and how he was trying to defend his own droid.It was peaceful again between us, our friendship was still solid and kind enough.Poe then pointed to the ladder that was against my X-Wing, “Mind if I join you?”

“You’re not going to go back to sleep?” I asked him as he shrugged his shoulder.

“I’m already awake, I don’t see the point of trying to sleep again,” He replied, having em reluctantly against some of the better judgment I had in my head nod and he started to climb the ladder like he’s been doing this for years and years on end. Of course, he made it look so easy, he was Poe Dameron.he made walking on water look like he’s been doing this since he was two years old. 

He plopped down next to me now, grinning at me as I moved my own hair to the side and he looked around at the desolated hanger and the quiet was over us again.

“I’ve never been here in the hanger when it’s this quiet before,” He said out of the blue, looking around and almost looking like he didn’t know what to do then.

“I like it from time to time,” I explained, seeing him look over at me from the corner of my eye as I looked up at the open hanger doors, slightly ajar to show the night sky and the plenty of stars that were there, “I like to think out here, with no one around.”

“It’s kind of nice actually,” He commented too, “Still, a bit odd to be out here alone.”

“I never mind it at all really, I tend to come out here every once in awhile when I can’t sleep,” I explained, seeing him give me a questioning look from what I said to him.

“Why can’t you sleep?” he asked, sounding less of the jokester that he was and more genuine and concerning. I had to think about it, what I was going to say to him and how I was going to say it in order to not sound like an idiot or crazy.

“I’ve been having these weird dreams,” I explained, pausing before I went on to see if he was going to be put off by it.So far, he was still interested from where I was seated and he was running to the hills yet, “The dreams are of my brother and me when we were little,”

“I didn’t know you had a brother,” Poe said to me in a surprised manner but it was still hushed.

“I don’t really talk about it since it’s kind of a sore spot,” I admitted, feel a bit and about it within my own chest, “But It’s been happening more recently, and I don’t know why.”

“What's his name?” Poe asked me, having me think about my brother again for a moment and almost want to cry from how out of the blue how much I missed him.

“Ben, his name was Ben,” I replied softly.

“Was?” He asked again, having me now feel a bit of lead on my tongue from what I was about to say next.

“He died when I was young,” I replied back to him, hearing nothing from Poe for a moment or two before I wanted to say something else to get the conversation either moving or out of the way.

“I’m sorry I asked,” he replied to me in almost a hurtful manner, “It wasn’t my place.”

“It’s fine, Poe.Trust me, I’ve had good days and bad days about it,” I explained to him calmly now as I swung my legs a bit and shuffled my hair a bit now with my fingers, “I just miss him, we were close when we were little.”

“I don’t have a brother,” Poe said to me, having me look over at him as he was thinking about it to himself, “I wish I did, but I was an only child.”

“Sounds like a hard life for you,” I said in a joking manner, seeing him crack a grin at me as I was somehow poking a jab at him, “The perfect Poe Dameron has a hard knock life for himself.”

“I’m not that perfect,” He said in defense.

“I’m sure.”

“I’m really not!” He said in achuckle, “I’m cockier than anything.”

“No way you’re not,” I said back to him, “You’re kind, not cocky.If anyone is cocky here, it is definitely not you.”I didn’t know why I would say that to him, no matter how good of a friendship that we had and now I literally just told him about my deceased brother and how I had weird dreams.But then again he was still there talking to me and sitting next to me like we were friends who had plenty of years under our belts.I had a deep appreciation for him and how he was willing to pour into friendship, like this one with me though I still had no idea why.I wasn’t really anyone special for someone like Poe to look at. 

“You know, don’t take this the wrong way, but you are honestly nothing like your mother,” he commented to me with suck kinds there laced in his face and in his voice that it almost made me blush.Hell, hearing something like that would brighten my whole day, and it was almost like a way of flirting. 

* * *

**Planet D’Qar**

**Present Day**

I walked through the hanger in almost a fast walk than anything.This was the last thing that I needed, to deal with this and try to contain what I was feeling on the inside.He was going off on another mission, thanks to my mother, and It had something to do with finding my Uncle.

Luke Skywalker.

We’ve been trying to find him for years and years on end, not being able to find any clues that could lead us to him.He’s been away from my family ever since I was a young girl, left without a trace behind him and it made my mother beyond nervous for her to find her twin brother.Now it was a result of Poe being assigned to go to the planet Jakku with an old ally that lived there.The ally apparently had something valuable to use for us to have and find my Uncle.I should be happy about it, but I wasn’t.

Because Poe was going out there.

He was at the very edge of the hanger, BB-8 already in the X-Wing and beeping at Poe who was on the side of his X-Wing and checking one more piece of equipment there along the side.Poe shot a look at BB-8 when he buzzed at him about something.

“Don’t worry, buddy.You heard what General Organa said, this is important to find Skywalker, and she chose us to do it!” Always the hopeful one to think of the positive in any kind of situation.It made me smile to think he was such a person, but then again I was still worried about his upcoming mission, no matter how many he’s been on and how seasoned a veteran is.I was about to say something when BB-8 once again buzzed and whirled, pointing his antenna in my direction and Poe looked too.Damn BB-8 for giving me away at him and Poe grinned, walking over to me in his attire that he wore that day, pants, combat boots, his flight leather jacket and his pistol on his hip.

“I heard you’re going out to Jakku today,” I explained to him as he placed his hands on his hip.

“Just a routine run to find an old ally of General Organa,” He explained to me, having me nod at him and see him look at me in hesitance a bit, like a weight was on him then, “I know it’s importance to find Luke Skywalker and to better help the Resistance.”

“And who better to go out on this mission then you, of course,” I voiced back to him, having him look a bit more hesitant about it since I said in that manner.I didn’t want to admit to him that I was a bit worried about him and that I cared about him far too much.I could tell he was seeing it in my face and he then took a few steps over to me, reaching over to grab my hand within his own.I was about to say something to him when our hands touched, fingers lacing there and having me feel the sudden heat that was about to come for of me and hit him from what I was feeling. 

“It’s a simple mission, Neyli.I’ll be back before you know it,” he said with such reassurance there that it would make me feel better if it was any other mission that he would be in.But this one seems more intense, because of how big this mission was, the search for my Uncle and how important he would be to help with the Resistance.It felt like he was having a hardy heavy weight on his shoulders, and my mother trusted him. 

“It’s not a simple mission, Poe,” I reminded him in a low tone now, “This is very dangerous if something could happen to you, or if The First Order finds you trying to get to my Uncle…” I trailed off in a now around manner.Poe shook his head seeing the now set of fear on my face from what I was saying and he was squeezing our joint hands tighter than ever.

“Nothing is going to happen to me, you know I can handle myself and one of the best pilots here, it’s going to be okay,” He said to me in a softer way, and even though I was still feeling uneasy about it, I had to realize that he could handle himself, even with a serious big mission such as this one. I really wished I could hug him there, let him know what I was really feeling within that moment, but a simple hand hold was going to have to do at this moment.Was he thinking that same thing?At this point in our relationship, was this the one thing he could only do? 

“I’ll be back soon, I promise you Neyli.Okay?” he asked me, having me slowly nod my head and he gave me one of those very rare smiles that he would give me every once in awhile when we would be alone.I was no longer thinking like a Captain, but I was thinking as something else, a title I was both appreciated of and not able to call myself out in public.

“Be safe, for my sake, Poe,” I said to him in my own softer manner.

“Of course, Captain,” He grinned at me, having me eye him now.

“Don’t start,” I advised him, not wanting him dress me like that when I was having my own moment with him.But there he was, seeing him just smile back at me.

“I know what you meant, Neyli.I’ll be safe,” He said in his bold manner, having me nod at him and we finally released our joined hands.He would be back, I knew that for certain since he was such a good pilot to not come back. 

I had to let him go. 

* * *

**Several Hours Later**

“What’s the progress on Dameron?” I asked the officers as we were checking his locator that he had on for us to trace him.It was showing him on the planet Jakku, but it was something else that made my own blood turn cold and my heart almost break.We could see it there on the locator, the red lights coming on over and over all over the area and we knew what that meant, something I really didn’t want to admit in front of the others.

“There appears to be an invasion of Storm Troopers from the First Order coming onto the planet, Captain,” One of the officers explained to me now as she pulled up the map of the area to make it a little bigger.I could see all of the red dots moving around on the screen now and it was making em more grave.

“Captain, Poe just got captured by The First Order,” I closed my eyes in defeat and I clutched the desk beneath me.

Poe was captured, and my heart was breaking. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Planet D’Qar**

**4 years ago**

“Go over those readings for me, again.Make sure you do it right this time,” I was facing another schematic of the newest model of our X-Wing, another pilot there in training and going over my rank there as some kind of test.I was doing the same testing as the others there, all of us around the round table there in the main hanger of our base.I was glad to got through the training of being a pilot with the others there, some of them were wondering why I was there if I was the daughter of Leia Organa, the infamous General.I was already getting some kind of reputation there for maybe moving up the ranks merely because of my surname, and I hoped that it wasn’t the case at all.I wanted to work on my own and get my own hands dirty, not reply on my family to excel. 

“Fail, do it one more time before I dismiss you for the day,” I could hear the officer two pilots down from me scolding another pilot for doing the readings wrong, having me look over my own work at a doubling rate.This was pushing me to do better, much better than before when I was just starting out as a trainee pilot. 

“Well done,” I looked over my shoulder, seeing the officer there looking at my work and a small smile on his lips, “You’re going rather well with your work, pilot.”

“Thank you sir,” I thanked him, seeing him nod at me as he moved on to the next pilot.The nice moment was chortled, however, because I could see from across the table, a couple of the other pilots looking right at me in a death glare and I knew they were trying to make me feel utterly terrible. 

Great, just great.

* * *

“Must be great, being the Generals daughter and going through the ranks with ease,” I heard behind me as I was waiting in line for my own food and my friend, Janco, was waiting right behind me, having me see him roll his eyes from hearing the soldier trying to whip me down once again.It was another routine, some punk of a pilot who was either fresh in the training, or really bold to try and be anywhere near me and lost lose an eye.I was trying to get sued to it, no matter who many times I would be angry about it. 

“I don’t know about you, but I would think that being such a protege around here would be a wearing kind of feeling, since everything is handed to you on a silver platter,” Another jab at me, having me feel Janco nudge me with his shoulder now with a hopeful smile on his face. 

“Leave them, they don’t know a think about you, Neyli,” Janco reassured me now with his kind tone as I got my food onto my plate, seeing a unfamiliar figure in front of me, maybe he was knew to the program and I had no idea.But he was a bit taller than me, mining his own and I was about to introduce myself to him when the jokester said one more thing that did set me off.

“I could only wonder what kind of string that your own family pulled, sleeping with officers and such, or even just stealing junk to pay off your time here.What a great family she must have,”Now, if I had one thing from either one of my parents, it was my sense of pride and my temper.I knew what it meant to be kind and what it mean to be respectful, but if I wasn’t going to get it, then I wasn’t to give it.This one pilot, a mere boy really in my own, was really going to push it with me.I placed my tray on the counter than, whirling around and moving Janco out of the way. 

But the mysterious new pilot beat me to it.

“Hey, why don’t you leave her alone?” he asked the jokester, the new pilot sounded so stern with him nd yet his voice sound smooth and almost charasmatic. 

“Listen, new guy, I don’t think you should mess around with me, got it?” He asked the new friend in a cold tone now, jabbing him with a finger on his chest like he was about to push him away now.I still looked at the jerk, seeing him leer at the new man who was trying to defend me though we never met.

“You’re right,” The new guys said in a factorial tone, “Because if I did, I could really make you look very childish and almost like a walking speciman with no spine,”

“Listen, pretty boy…” The new guy was now getting threatened, and I felt like now was the right time to step in and do something about it.I had to think light on my feet then, wanting to have the two men separate with each other since I knew it was about to get ugly.So I did the one thing I thought I could do to make it better.

I clotheslined the guy.

Throwing out my arm like a heavy pole, I knocked it against his neck to blow out his breath from his lungs and have him fall back, ending his back in an ward manner and his head slamming into the counter a bit, toppling to the floor in a heap.Everyone in the safari heard and saw it, no one making a single move as his food was flying in the air and I was standing in front of the mysterious defender, whom too looked surprised from my actions.I leered down at the jokester, his friends who were still standing behind him looked at me with petrified eyes and backed away a bit.

“What the hell?” The defeated mane grumbled a bit as he tried to get up.

“Get your manners in check before you decide to open your mouth again and back talk to a sergeant,” I warned him in a low tone, “Be sure to never talk about my family while I’m in ear shot, or I’ll make you bleed next time.”he said nothing as I said this, but giving me a cold look and the rest of the pilots in the large cafeteria were slowly going back to what they were doing.I grinned, seeing Janco move over to me to talk over my shoulder.

“Good job getting in trouble,” he whispered.

“The guy deserved it,” I replied back, hearing someone clearing their throat and getting my attention.It was the new pilot, looking right at me with big eyes that were both memorizing and soulful, at least to me they were.I saw what he looked right finally instead of the back of his head: he had dark hair that was short but wavy, a youthful look on his face that was tan that made me think he was from another planet, anda crooked grin on his face.But the one thing that got me good and almost had me falter, were his eyes: wide and bright brown with warmth behind them. 

“That was a bit fancy what you did there,” He commented to me, his voice was once again soothing but charming at the same time.

“You tend to pick up a few tricks being a pilot from around here,” I replied, seeing the grin widen slightly, “And thank you, by the way, for defending me against that guy. Although, I could have handled it on my own,”

“I was taught to be respectful to anyone and everyone, no matter who they are,” he explained, holding out his hand for me to shake.I took it without thinking twice, “The name’s Poe Dameron.Pleasure to meet you.”

“Neyli Organa-Solo,” I replied, seeing his eyes go a bit wide from hearing my last name.I knew that was coming, but then again I didn’t expect him to seem so casual about it too, like it was nothing. 

“Well, pleasure to meet you, Poe.” I said to him, since we had a moment or two of dirking in the fact that we just met each other.He smiled widely at me.

“Same to you, Neyli.”

* * *

**Present Day**

“How are his vitals?” I stood there with my mother, General Organa, while we were watching outside one of the observation windows as Poe Dameron, recently rescued and brought back to us, was being analyzed on a medical table.I could only watch and hold my tongue, not being able to go in there and check him myself as another instinct of mine was coming over me.There was blood on his head, exhaustion all over his face as he was still trying to breathe.The medical robot was there doing his numbers, C-3PO was right next to my mother.

“He’s stable, he need plenty of rest at this point since his vitals are a bit lower than we expected.From what we are reading, pilot Dameron as been through some kind of mental trauma,” All of our heads snapped over to the medical robot as the head medic in the hanger look at him in question.

“What kind of trauma?” The medic asked the robot.

“His brain waves are reacting in a harsh manner, as if he went through a traumatic and stressful event that spiked the waves,” The robot explained to him as I saw my mother shake a bit, having me a bit worried.I touched her shoulder, knowing it was just the both of us now in the room.

“Mom?” I asked her, seeing her take in one more breath before she looked over at me and I saw the look of horror on her face then, no matte how subtle she was trying to be.

“The only thing that I know that can really trigger something in someone’s head…is the use of The Force,” She said to me in a low tone as I cringed a bit.The Force, the one natural flowing energy in the galaxy that is all round us, according to both my mother and my uncle.It can be used for good, or for the Dark Side.The Dark Side of The Force can kill a man, change him completely and bring nothing but pain and chaos into the galaxy.If what i remembered from my Uncle and his teachings onto me, The Dark Side is just as powerful as the light, but more damaging to try and harness and endure. 

“Who would do that to him?” I asked her now in a hushed whisper, wanting to know more of the truth that could be unfolded in front of us, but my mother didn’t say a word.She moved away before I could ask her again, having me think that she knew something that she was not going to tell me. 

“Mom?” I asked her once more, but she already left the room and left me more out to dry than ever.What did she know?What was she hiding? 

“Don’t worry Master Neyli, I’m sure he’ll be alright,” C-3PO said to me as I looked back at an unconscious Poe there, resting again on the table and I sighed from hearing the bot talk to me.

“You know how I hate it when you call me that, 3PO,” I reminded him.

“Oh I know, but it’s proper protocol,” He replied to me in his chipper manner, having me softly smile at him and then look back at the room again.The medic and the robot were gone, the door to the side opening to have me see the both of them walking in and the medic looking right at me.

“How is he?” I asked the medic.

“He’ll be fine, Captain.I don’t advise him for flying for a few days just to get his own bearings together.He needs rests, but other than that, we can expect a recovery within days,” He explained to me now and I nodded my head to show that I understood.He then moved away, the medical robot behind him following and I was left in the room with C-3PO again.

“Shall I go report to your mother?” He asked in a wondering tone, having me still watch Poe, seeing him slowly wake up and looking up at the ceiling.I wanted to go in there and check on him, having me then look back at C-3PO.

“Yes, go tell her what the medic told me,” I ordered as I was moving out of the room.

“Of course, Master Neyli,” He replied after me as I opened the door to into the room where Poe was in. Poe was breathing in and out slowly, almost blinking slowly as well to see where he was.I was just relieved that he was alright, thinking that worst when I got the call that he was brought into the hanger from one of our rescue X-Wings.

“Poe?” I asked, almost softly now so that I didn’t scare him.He breathed in sharply now, hearing my voice and it made me walk over to him slowly, seeing him look around to find me since I could tell he heard my voice.

“Neyil?” He asked out loud in the room, his hand leaving the table right he was trying to reach out to me. I grasped it within seconds, not loosing it within my own grasp there and he finally found my eyes.They looked scared, beyond scared, which was not Poe at all.I felt how cold and concerned his hold was on my hand, something really shook him.Maybe it was how he was captured, and whomever had him did nasty things to him.I could see it, and feel it, and it made me scared too.

“You’re safe Poe,” I reassured him, seeing him look right at me like he was making sure I was real in front of him, “You’re back at base and you’re safe.”

“That stormtrooper….Finn.He saved me,” Poe said, having me wonder what he was saying until he said something else, “Where’s….where’s BB-8?” He asked me in his soft tone, almost sounding like he was in pain from mentioning his beloved droid.

“He wasn’t with you, Poe.” I reminded him, seeing him then suddenly sit up and I placed my hands on his arms to get him to lay back down, “Poe, you need to rest now.”

“He’s on Jakku!” Poe said in a rushed manner, looking at me with pleaded eyes, “I left him on the planet when I was captured by The First Order when they attacked the village. He has what we need to find Skywalker, BB-8 has it!We need to find him!”

“Poe, I already have pilots looking for him though his transmitters and tracker, we'll find him and bring him back to you here, okay?” I didn’t want him to have a panic attack on me now since he still needed to heal, but I knew where he was coming from.BB-8 was his closest friend of a droid whom were loyal to him and would follow him whoever he went. 

“There’s something else,” Poe said once again to me, the only two in the room and he made it sound so urgent in his soft whisper of a voice.It was then that he clutched our hands tighter, having m worry about what he was about to say to me, “The man who capture me from The First Order…Neyli….he’s a Jedi.”

“How is that possible?” I asked in a shocked tone, knowing that what I heard in the past meant that the Jedis no longer existed.They were gone, wiped out from the galaxy after the disappearance of my Uncle.To find one would be rare, rare and extraordinary. 

“He had a saber, a red one, and he used The Force against me,” He said it all so quickly like it was suffocating him from keeping it inside, “He got into my head, Neyli.”It made me more scared for him, never being able to see him this undone before by anything or anyone.It shook him to the core, what happened to him and how it happened to him.Now I knew why: a Jedi, from The Dark Side, got into his head.

“He interrogated me to get to BB-8, he knows where BB-8 is and he’ll find the data to get to Luke Skywalker,” Poe said to me in such a bold statement, “I tried to not tell him….he just…got into my head and never stopped.”I could tell he was about to crumble again now as I stroked his hands with my own, feeling how cold his hand got and how this was really working him up from the sanded out.

“Poe, it’s not your fault. For one who’s not Force-sensitive to survive a practice like what happened to you is very rare, but possible.” I reminded him, remembering my own teachings from Uncle Luke and what he told me about those who are Force-sensitve and those who are not.Those who are are more prone to survive the practice on them, and those who are not could not handle it. 

“He saw you,” He finally said to me in a broken manner, having me freeze there as he said it like a bullet to the chest, “The Jedi saw you in my head, he mentioned you.I didn’t want him to see you, I tried to keep you away from him….. couldn’t take it…I could’t.”

“Shh..” I had to top him from suffering now, it was not going to help him out in the future as he kept going on like this.He as broken because of what he allowed this Jedi to do to me, to see me within his own head.He was trying to punches himself for such a fail mission and I was not going to let that happen to him.I slowly leaned my head against his own, in hopes that he would calm down from what was weighing him down. 

“Poe, we will find BB-8 and we will find my Uncle.I promise,” I reassured him calmly now as I felt him slowly reach up to touch my cheek and jawline with his fingers, having me lean back and watch him as he did this, watching where his fingers were going and I could feel his fingers against my skin, leaving a trail of goosebumps and reassurance there, along with affection.

“I just have to make sure I’m not dreaming, that you’re here.” he said in a raspy tone, having me smile at him and take both of his hands to place them on my cheeks there, to feel his calloused palms and fingers there and seeing our eyes pouring into each other like pools of memories and kindness.

“Nothing is taking me away from you, Poe,” I promised.I knew The Force was an evil thing to trick the mind when it was used in the wrong hands, and whomever did this to Poe was using it the way that would kill a man.This Jedi wanted me, and it broke Poe almost into a thousand pieces, not mention the loss of his droid on a remote planet that also had the piece that we needed to find my Uncle. 

Whoever this Jedi was, I felt like he was not going away anytime soon. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Planet Mindor**

**1 year ago**

“Hang right!Another wave of them is coming this way!We must defend the city from the TiE fighters!”I swooped down low in my X-Wing, Q2 chirping away behind me as I got into a new formation with some of the others that were flying with me.Once again, I was leading the way with Poe on my right, a handful from the Resistance when we heard a distress call from the planetMindor, a planet on the side of the Alliance.They were being attacked by The First Order, and Poe and I were the first to answer the call.

“I know, I see them too Q2.Keep an eye out for me.” I said to my droid I was weaving through the harsh judge and close mountains, “Poe, what’s your twenty?”

“I got three on my tail, trying to fend them off.How many do you have?” He asked on my intercom.

“I have five, cutting in tight, I’m trying to get them off of me near the mountains to the south,” I replied, seeing the five behind me in my own view mirror.It was a tough spot for me to be in, but it was nothing that I knew I could not handle at all. 

“Let me get these guys off my tail and I’ll come over there and help,” Poe explained in my intercom, having me grin at him as I shifted over to the side within second, hearing one of the fighters crash and burn into the mountain from not getting out of the way in time.

“No need to be my knight and shining armor, Dameron.Don’t think I can handle it myself?” I asked him as I did another maneuver, ducking down low and hitting the brakes to have the TIE fighter fly over me and overtook, in return having me shoot and see it fall to the floor before I pulled up into the air again for more room.

“A little help from a friend is all a person needs, Captain.” Poe countered back, but I could hear the cheekiness there in his tone, hearing shooting on his end and he cheered.It made em roll my eyes.

“Don’t rush over here or anything,” I muttered back to him, but I knew it was light when I felt one of the missiles hit the side of my fighter.Q2 bleep too loud for my liking.

“Don’t tell me to pay attention, Q2.I can handle this, you just do your thing!” I reminded my droid, switching over the regular intercom to talk to the other pilots.

“Listen up!We have about 11 more of these guys to take care of and get out of the way before more damage will ensure.I’ll double back and take ground to make sure none of the citizens are harmed,” I said to the others.

“You got it, Captain!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“We’re with you, Captain!”

I was glad to have a group of pilots right behind me and fending them off for me.This was where I belonged, not in the war room around a large table and plans in front of me.My mother wanted me there by her side, though she wouldn’t say it, it was true.Very true.But not me, I was a pilot through and through.Like, my father.

“I’ve got two targeting the city along the lake, get there before those missiles hit the ground!” I ordered the others, finding my way over to the main line of fire.The city was almost in blazes then, the TIE fighters were trying to light up most of the city there when I got there in time.Poe’s X-Wing came in too, along with two more as we were trying to shoot down a couple of the fighters that were still left there in the open.

“Lit them up!” I heard Poe say on the intercom.

“We can take them!” Jancon said in agreement.I took out one more fighter when my X-Wing took another hit, having me almost falter a bit now as I looked over to see that my engine was blown out.great.

“I’m hit, I’m taking her down and landing in the courtyard,” I said in my intercom, then hearing Q2 whiz a bit at me now in annoyance.

“We’ll be fine down there,” I reassured Q2 as I started to lower my X-Wing down on the ground safely.

“Neyli, you’re gonna need backup if you’re going to get out of your fighter,” Poe wanted me as I touched the ground, seeing some Stormtroopers already there and getting ready to fire at me.I took two shots from my X-Wing, leveling a couple of them out of the way before my opened the window.

“I don’t need it!” Of course, I would be stubborn for something like this to happen, having em plasma gun I had for something like this.As soon as the top was open to my X-Wing, I popped up and over to shoot at a few of the Stormtroopers, some of them were trying to shoot at me but I hopped out and rolled onto the surface on the ground.

“Q2, stay there and don’t move!” I commanded my droid as another Stormtrooper was coming my way.I took the shot, more of my comrades were helping me in the aid as TIE fighters were falling out of the sky and into the lake. 

“Watch your back, Captain!” Junco warned me as I whirled around and shot at two more who were coming my way.Finally, I got my helmet off and threw it at one of the Stormtroopers that were going to shoot at me.It almost knocked him off when I got him again with the gun.Someone snuck up behind me and shot at me, skinning the top of my hand and having me gasp out, dropping my gun in my hand and almost fall to the floor.An X-Wing shot at the Stormtrooper, having me look up and over to see who it was.

Poe.

“Cocky,” I said under my breath as I got up, the burning still there within my hand and the it was making me squinted it out in pain as I got the gun within my hand again.I shot a few more of the men there and I could see that we were clearly done with the mission. I sighed in relief, the last TIE fighter going into the lake.It was almost a sound of relief for me to hear.It was all over then, having me look around to see someone running up to me, one of the citizens of the town.

“Thank you for helping us,” She said to me, an older being who had some people behind me.The X-Wings were landing along the shore of the lake.I only clutched my damaged hand, just nodding along with what she was saying.

“Anything we can do, why did they come here to your planet?” I asked her as I could hear footsteps behind me, having me keep my eyes on her and see the hesitance there on her face.

“The First Order was after something here,” She explained to me, having me look at her in confusion and worry from what I was hearing, “They are under the belief that we have something valuable for them to use.”

“What was it?” I asked, pressing on with what she needed to tell me, now seeing both Jancon and Poe in my line of vision. 

“We don’t know,” She replied simply with a shrug of her shoulders, “We have nothing here on this planet that would put us and the Resistance in the hands of The First Order.”It made no sense to me, having me feel more confused than ever.The being simply rubbed it off, smiling at us again and I could see the kindness there on her face, “But we are still so thankful for you all saving us.We are and still will forever be in the debt of the Resistance.”

“You are still our ally, it’s the best we can do,” I reassured her, seeing her grin and walk away from us back to her people.I finally turned over to Poe and Jancon, along with the other pilots there that day. My head was turning from what she told me, my hand was burning and aching from the gunshot, and I was still trying to keep a stern and collective face of a Captain. 

“Well done,” I said to them, some of them including Jancon smirked from how I said it.It was Poe who was giving me a pilot kind of look, almost moving his look down to my hand every once in awhile, having me wonder what was going on in his head.

“We’ll head back to base at D’Qar and debrief from there, letting General Organa know the report,” I explained to them, seeing them nod their heads and move back over to their X-Wings, but not Poe.He stayed there as the rest of them left and got ready to head back, Poe walking over to me and I was about to ask him what was wrong, but he went for my injured hand, cradling it in-between both of his hands to examine it.I stayed still, grunting a bit from the burning pain to see how to looked: a thin long line on the top of my hand.

“Poe,” I started with him, seeing him bring it closer to his face to see it better.It was close, dangerously close to his mouth then and I almost lost the ability to breathe.

“How bad is it?” He asked in concern as I finally moved my hand away from him.

“It’s not bad at all, nothing a bit of cream and medicine can’t fix,” I reassured him, almost cradling the injured hand to my chest like I was protecting it.He then reached into his pocket and pulled out one of his bandanas, something I would do too when I would either have to clean my hands to use it on a job.I grabbed it, knowing better than to argue with him and wrapped my wound with it.It was a temporary fix, knowing that when I got back to base I would get it cleaned up for certain.

Poe kept his look on me for another moment or two before he then looked behind the both of us at my X-Wing.I did too, seeing the back smoke there and sighing in defeat.

“Q2 is going to take forever fixing that thing,” I said in a mutter now as Poe looked back at me, a twinkle there in his eye.

“Well, if you want to leave Q2 here to fix it, I wanna show you something,” He said to me carefully, almost like he was making sure he said the right thing about it.I rose an eyebrow to it, not thinking of what he would be saying to me. 

“What do you mean?” I asked him, placing my hands in my hips.

“Look, I wanted to take you somewhere and show you something…somewhere…and since we don’t have anything else going on…maybe we can go now?” He seemed nervous asking me that, and I still had no clue what was going on.

“What about the fact I still have to report to General Organa about this mission?” I countered back with him, “And get my hand fixed up.”

“You can send Jancon to do it, and we can get some medicine where we are going.Come on, Captain, live a little on this one with me.” He urged me then, having me roll my eyes then.If there was ever a time I was going to say no to Poe Dameron, it was not going to be that day.

Damn him.

* * *

**Planet Yavin, Moon Yavin-4**

“You lived here?” I asked Poe in a gasp as I was looking at his childhood home on his home planet: Yavin 4.It was a beautiful place, the home was nestled in the forest and everything else around it was green and flourishing in nature.It was a jungle moon, having me breathe it in and feel more at peace about the place since Poe flew the both of us out there. 

His home was small, enough to fit a small family, but it looked cozy enough.The one thing that struck me was how isolated it was.That, and it looked deserted.

“I grew up here,” He explained as I walked along the grass there and felt the warmth of the sun there against my skin, looking back at Poe who was not following me, standing on the edge of the clearing, “I still own it, I can do whatever I want with it if I want to.”

“You still own it?”Even after your father’s death 5 years ago?” I asked him. thinking that this was not something I would picture Poe to have in his life in his back pocket.He just nodded his head and I pointed at the house, “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“I didn’t want to bring it up and flaunt it a whole lot,” He confessed, having me just grin as he walked over to stand next to me, pointing to a direction over to the left of the house on the backside, “I brought you here to actually show you something in the backyard.”

“What is it?” I asked him, more intrigue from just seeing his house.He started walking in that direction and I had to follow since I didn’t know where he was going to lead me.I just followed,almost like an obedient puppy of sorts.But the pep in his step, how he was walking and turned the corner before stopping and letting me see what he was seeing.

It was a tree.A beautiful Force-Sensitive Tree.

The roots were deep in the ground, the trunk large in mass and almost looking like plenty of other vines morphed into one, reaching up to the thick branches that expanded and reached in different directions.The leaves were a hauntingly beautiful goal tint and glowing around the edges of the leaves and the branches, almost like small orbs of balls of lights hovering near and around the trees in almost a way of stars in the sky.

It was beautiful.

“A Force-Sensitive tree.” I said in a gasp as I walked over, little by little to the tree but stayed a good distance away. It was unbelievable, the kind of trees that you would see in dreams, or hear in tall tales. 

“Have you ever seen one before?” Poe asked me from behind as I looked high above me at the tall tree, shaking my head.

“My Uncle Luke told me that there was one that grew in the courtyard of the Jedi Temple in Coruscant.It was supposed to be a legend, ancient and fuel by The Force.With the rise of the Empire, it was destroyed for good,” I explained to him as the leaves were hanging over me now from being so close to the tree.I could feel it, The Force, how it was soothing all over me and around me from being so close and almost touching the tree.I knew what The Force felt like, it’s been years since I felt it this strongly, but I knew how it felt and what was happening within me. The feeling was soothing, almost like a wave washing over me and also prickling along the top of my skin. 

“Apparently my folks, after they fought at the Battle of Endor, grabbed a fragment of the tree when it was destroyed,” Poe explained as I reached up to touch one of the leaves.It felt lighter than air like I was touching a cloud and it made my smile even bigger.How I could see something like was too good to be true, and how was it so?I had to look back over to Poe again, still seeing him a bit away from the tree itself and I gave him a pondering look.

“Why did you want to show me this?” I asked him, really wondering what had him not only bring me to another planet after a mission but to his childhood home to see some kind of distant memory.He saw him shove his hands within his pockets, walking over to me slowly and keeping his hands in his pockets and that same twinkling look in his eyes.

“I thought you would like it,” He admitted that to me, almost making me miss a be a within my own heartbeat as he was saying this like he was interested in me.He should be saying this to someone else, not me, “I mean, all of those stories you told me about training with your Uncle and learning The Force, it made me think that you would really like to see something like this.”

“Well, you did the right thing,” I confessed to him, looking back up at the tree again and seeing how small I looked compared to the mass size of the tree.It was the next line that I would hear from him that would almost make m want to faint.

“Plus I wanted to give you a piece of it,”I said nothing, looking a bit in shock now as he walked over to stand next to me, his small makeshift dagger in his hand as he then leaned down to the green earth, touching the part of the root that was about the grass and took the dagger to it.Within seconds, he had a piece of the root within his hand, getting back up and then handing it to me.I didn’t know what to say to him and how to say it, this seems like something a friend wouldn’t give a friend.But there he was.

He was giving me the tree.

“I can’t take this,” I said to him in a soft manner, feeling the root on my skin and how light it was.But Poe was still staying that close to me.

“I want you to have this, Neyli,” He said to me in reassurance, having me wrap my fingers around the root and look over at Poe, seeing how close he was to me and how I could breath all the sudden.It didn’t matter that I was a captain for a Resistance, all that did matter was the man who was standing so close to me and having me forget what was happening in my life, the man who was always so peaceful near me and was always loyal to me both as a pilot and as a friend. 

“This is far too special for someone like me,” I tried to reason with him, but he shook his head and took one of his hands to place on top of my own.

“Neil, I loved playing under his tree when I was little, I would run around it for days and days on end.When I’m under this tree, I am beyond at peace and beyond happy, and I don’t know if it’s because of The Force or whatever, but I can’t help but feel the same way when I’m around you.It’s you that make me peaceful and happy, Neyli, and I want to give something that does bring me happiness, to someone that is far more important to me than anyone else that I know.” It was too good to be true, having me think that this was a trick and a sick joke, almost a bad mind trick on me.

“I don’t deserve something like this,” I tried again to tell him, but he was now an inch closer to me, having me really see who beautiful his eyes were.Even after years of friendship, flying together and plenty of talks in the hanger, no matter how many times I convince myself that he would only see me as a friend, it was not enough.

Up until he kissed me under the Force-Sensitive Tree.

I thought the feeling of The Force was good enough for me, a pure feeling of energy and peace.But this, kissing Poe under a tree that as giving us a tinted glow.This was a brand new kind of energy that I was feeling all over me, sparks like fireworks and electricity all over my skin and behind my eyelids.This was beyond unexpected, and I felt like I was not the one while he should be kissing.Hell, I was more ordinary than anything. 

He finally pulled away, but still staying so close to me and having my lips feeling the tingles there from our lips pressing together. 

“Why did you do that?” I asked him in a whisper now, seeing him move his eyes from my own eyes to my lips, licking his own lips while he did this.

“I’ve kind of been wanting to do that for awhile now, actually,” He replied to me in a smaller tone, my hand that was clutching the root was now holding it in a death grip.I gave him a nervous smile from what he said, the glow around him because of the tree almost made him more of a dream than any time before.

“Really?” I asked in a small shocked manner, seeing his grin get a bit bigger then and he nodded his head.Our hands were holding onto each other between us there, making me slowly want to realize all of the thoughts and the disbelief of myself and Poe.I kept saying that I was not good enough for him, not pretty enough, not daring enough, that I was far too ordinary.But how could I say that about myself when I have someone like Poe there, whom was beyond a dear friend to me and I knew would fight with me to the ends of the galaxy.I had to stop, I had to stop being the victim of my own thoughts and battered hopes.If Poe could see something in me, then I can show him what I see him in him in return.

I kissed him right back, holding it there and slowly feeling him kiss me back there.It was hitting all over my body, my mind was going back to the pleasant memories that I had with him since we met.The missions we had, the talks over meals or between training hours, and even just being near him.It was all coming back to me as we kissed under The Force-Sensitive Tree.He had an arm wrapped around me, his other hand was resting near my neck as I had both of my hands on his jacket holding on for dear life.With the root of the tree in my pocket and my heart bursting into pure joy, I was happier than I have ever been in my whole life.

* * *

**Planet D’Qar**

**Present Day**

I was sitting within my own Captain’s quarters, looking at the smaller tree that was growing within its own pot on my desk, the small trunk there sprouting a few branches and a single golden leaf on the top branch.It was another sleepless night for me, another dream of my past childhood, with my brother.Why was I getting this more frequently these days than before?It didn’t make sense.And after what happened to Poe, rescuing him from Jakku and finding out that a Jedi not only was still existing but was trying to get into Poe’s head.He must have been far too powerful, one of the last ones to be left in the galaxy, and he was also trying to find my Uncle. 

I thought my Uncle again, where he would be at this time.All of those times that I was training under him and hearing his lessons, using a training lightsaber and having him right next to me to show me the way of The Force.It made me miss him even more, I missed him dearly at this point.

_“You must clear your mind, let The Force show you,” I was young again, Uncle Luke next to me as I was in front of a pyramid pile of stones on the grassy floor.I was maybe 7 or 8 years old, a year into my training along with my brother Ben.He was watching from next to me as I was concentrating on the pile of rocks there, needing to move them into a circle on the ground._

_“The Force must be flowing through you, let it surround you within its light and you can move those rocks,” Uncle Luke instructed me from behind, having me close my eyes and picture the small amount of light, how it was moving and trying to stay still within me.It was hard to concentrate, my hand out in front of me to reach the rocks that were a good thirty feet away from me and I breathed out slowly._

_Once I opened my eyes, my rocks were no longer in a pyramid, but in a perfect circle on the ground._

_“Well done, Neyli.” Uncle Luke said to me._

_His voice._

I wasn’t thinking about it, nor was I paying attention, but once I came back to reality from the memory of my Uncle, the small Force-Sensitive Tree on my desk moved from my desk to be hovering a good foot or two in the air, right in front of my face.I kept it hovering, remembering to keep my concentration on the tree and seeing it so stable there in the air, floating and sitting there right in front of my eyes.This was the first time I used The Force like this in a long time, there was never any real need to use it since I was piloting more, and my parents wouldn’t allow it.They wanted me to restrict my use of it, not wanting to overdue it.I didn’t know why, but I never wanted to question it.

I lowered the tree back onto the desk again, seeing the small glow it was harboring as I thought once again of the Jedi who captured and tortured Poe.Who was he?What did he want with Luke personally? 

Most of all, why did he want to know me?


	5. Chapter 5

“Captain!We have a message from the Planet Takodana from a droid named GA-97!” I was looking over another map from another spec of the galaxy when I heard a call from C3PO.Poe was right next to me, still trying to find BB-8 and I knew it was killing him from the inside out not knowing where his droid was.I handed to find BB-8 as well, he was a good droid and he was valuable to finding my Uncle Luke. 

“Bring it up to the screen,” I said to him, seeing the voice message system on the screen in front of us, having me touch the play button and hear the message coming through.

“Alert the Resistance: the Droid they are looking for is here”

“They found BB-8!” Poe said in a hopeful manner now as I looked over at him with a smile on my face.This meant that we were one step closer to getting to my Uncle Luke, getting more information that we can use in our favor against the First Order.All that we knew at this point was that there were two humans who were with BB-8 from the information that we picked up.Things were looking up in our favor then.

“Get the pilots ready, we’ll send out the coordinates,” I ordered Poe, seeing him nod in agreement as he moved away and was about to go out of the room when he stopped, along with the others because of who was coming through the door.My mother.

General Organa.

“What was the message?” She asked me as I played back the message for her one more time.I could tell something shifted within her as she heard the news, it made me excited then as I moved over to her side now, seeing her think to herself.

“We can get flyers out there to retrieve BB-8 and come back before they know it,” I explained to her now as she thought about it some more, “This planet is one of our allies.Dad knows Maz Kanata as much as we do, she’s no threat to us.”

“We will only send a few X-Wings out there,e we can’t be too careful,” She instructed me, having me nod in agreement and start to move out as well before I felt her take me arm in hers, “Not you, though.”

“What?” I asked her in disbelief as the rest of the people in the room, droids and pilots, were getting ready for what was to lie ahead.No one was paying attention to my mother and me, all except Poe.He was still at the doorway then, watching our small interaction and I really hoped that he was out of earshot.

“I need you next to me, as a Captain of the pilots to call out orders and keep an eye on the pilots,” She reminded me, but I could see something else was there within her eyes, some other reason for not having me go out there.

“I can fly out there and be back before you know it, you really don’t need me next to you to bark out orders,” I tried to reason with her, but she was still holding her ground then.

“Neyli, they have plenty of pilots without you there.I want you next to me, end of the discussion,” She repeated to me, still soft with a hint of sternness there in her voice.I knew there was not talking her out of that one and she was not going to let me out of her sight.

“At least, let me fly out in my own X-Wing right next to you in case they do need something,” I asked her then, having her think about it for a moment or two.When it came to something with the First Order, she was always so hesitant to have me go out on a mission or any sort.It was like she was spooked with me being anywhere near a member of The First Order like she knew someone on that side that might kill me.It aggravated, only because I wanted to do my duty as a pilot but she wasn’t letting me.

“You stay near my vessel and you do not leave my sight, under any circumstances unless I tell you.Understand me, Captain?” She asked me finally, having me sigh in relief since this was the only small amount of freedom that she was going to give me. 

“Yes, General,” I replied, feeling her let me go now and then walk away from me.I was still confused about my circumstance there, how once again she was keeping me on a tight leash and not letting me know why.She moved out of the room, leaving me there with Poe who was there the whole time.He finally moved over to me and was standing close enough to me for the both of us to talk in hushed tones.

“She’s gonna let you fly with us, right?” he asked in a hopeful manner.

“She wants me to be next to her, not with you and the rest of the pilots,” I replied, seeing him look a bit confused by it. 

“Why not?” He asked, shifting a bit then.

“I don’t know, but I’ll be close by in my own X-Wing in case things do get hairy,” I said to him in a hopeful manner, having me watching him think to himself for a moment or two about it.I grasped his arm then to get his attention once more, “Poe, we found BB-8.We’re gonna get your droid back!”I wanted to steer the conversation away from me and my safety that was apparently needed with my mother to the real purpose for this mission: BB-8.That droid was far too important for us to miss and not receive.Poe grinned when I mentioned his droid, knowing that it was going to make him happy again. I knew he missed him, almost like a part of him was missing since we’ve never been apart from the moment BB-8 was assigned to him. 

“I knew he was a tough little droid,” He said in a lighter manner now, having me grin at him and place a hand on his back to get him to look back over at me.I hugged him close then, no one else in the room to see and to question what we were doing.Poe hugged me back, having me feel the hug through under my skin and making me want to keep it there to awhile.It was a sad thing since we’ve been together we’ve been needing to keep out relationship more of a secret than anything.I didn’t know whether or not my mother knew about us, Jancon had a hint of it but decided not to say anything, and the rest had no clue.Poe and I knew we had to be more secretive, for both of our sakes. 

“Let’s go get him, okay?” I asked him while he was pulling away, Poe leaning over to give me a quick kiss on the lips before answering me.

“Come on,” He replied to me, the both of us moving to go out of the war room again and having me breathe out a sigh of relief and adrenaline.Who knew what was going to be out there, and I only hoped that things were going to be looking up from here.

* * *

**Planet Takodana**

“Give them everything you got!” I was flying next to the carrier that the officers and my mother were in, watching from afar and fulfilling my end of the deal: staying away from the battle that was happening.Once we were in space and close to the planet, we got word that the capital of the New Republic, Hosnian Prime, and four others within the same solar system were destroyed by a superweapon.It was the First Order, using their main weapon from their StarKiller that they created against us and they finally used it on one of our allied planets as a test. 

We knew we were in for a major battle on our hands. 

Poe was leading the charge in the area, where the Temple of Maz where locals were and were being hunted down and shot to bits by The First Order.They got there before us, somehow hearing about BB-8 and the two humans with him and they wanted to get their hands on the droid.I wanted to go and fight, but once again I was told to stay near my mother and not leave her side just in case something were to happen.

“General Organa, I see no sign of the BB unit around the area,” Jancon said in the intercom of my helmet.

“There’s too many stormtroopers on the ground level!”

“I can take care of them, but we need to find BB-8,”Poe said in the intercom.I felt useless there, sitting next to my mother because she had a funny feeling about me being near the First Order.What else was I going do?I had to think of something and think fast.

“I have no readings of the unit being in the Temple,” Jancon said into the intercom, and that was when I had enough of this.I knew I had to listen to my general, my mother, but I knew BB-8 had to be found before he was going to be snagged by the First Order under our noses and within our gasps. 

“General, I need to go get BB-8 before anything happens,” I said into the intercom now from my spot in the cockpit. 

“Captain, I want you to--" I knew my mother was about to tell me off once again before I turned on my thrusters and sped towards the planet, turning off my intercom with the General and only having it with the pilots there. I was going to be in more trouble than I bargained for.But BB-8 was the main priority, he was the one I needed to get, not the approval of my mother.

“I’m coming in to find BB-8, who has a reading on him?” I asked the pilots.

“My droid picked up a reading on him within the forest outside the Temple,” Jancon replied to me.

“Neyli, what about the General?” Poe asked me in a grunt as I knew he was under heavy fire.

“Your droid is my top priority, not her need to protect me.I can handle my own, you handle the First Order and I’ll get your droid.” I explained as I got into the atmosphere and then soared over to the area where I knew the battle was raging on.It was a green planet, lakes and river here and there as I sped through the sky in hopes to find the area in time.I could see it now, the rising of smoke and more TIE fighters in the sky.I had to think, not wanting to draw attention to myself and get more fire on me, that would make my mother more angry with me.I decided to dive down to the east, a bit away from The Temple and over to the larger lake, seeing something tucked away along the shore as I landed.I didn’t think it would be there, and I was shocked to even see it.

The Millennium Falcon.

“Dad?” I asked as I landed on the floor and opened the top, popping my head out and looking around for a sign of him.Why was he here?Did he know what was gong on?Should I find him?

“Neyli, where are you?” Poe asked me in the intercom of my helmet.

“I landed near the lake on the east side, about to head out and find BB-8,” I explained, shrugging off my pilot gear and having my black flight pants, gray shirt, and my brother jacket underneath.My hair flowed out into the wind in a messy braid and I grabbed my rifle.

“Neyli, something big just landed, you need to get out of there.I know what that is—“ I threw off the helmet before I could hear more Poe.I hopped down from the X-Wing, looking back at Q2 and hearing the droid buzz at me urgently.

“Where is BB-8, Q2?” I asked, seeing him move his head around a bit before beeping back at me.He was to the East, deep within the jungle and I grinned, running off in that direction.I could hear the battle in the distance, the guns going off and the fighters in the air flying around me head.But my head was within the nation to finding the droid, running faster and weaving through the jungle with ease. 

I hit one area where something shifted within me, something moved that made me want to stop and look around to see if I knew what I was feeling.Someone close by, someone very close by, was Force-Sensitive.That or the were using The Force out in the open.I could tell it, something was shifting me to show that someone was close by that I should either go to or be mindful.I went with the first, not knowing what to expect and I knew it was to the left, deeper within the forest and I ran, the shift and feeling were getting more and more intense as I was getting closer and closer to whoever or whatever it was. 

“The girl I’ve heard so much about.”The was a dark voice, almost like it was mechanic but still human at the same time, it gave a child down my spine the moment I heard it. For some reason, that voice was familiar to me, too familiar.Why was it familiar?Why was I both afraid and drawn to it at the same time?I followed where the voice was coming from, the same area where The Force was pulling me and showing me.Something bigger was going on, I could feel it and sense it now as I turned the corner and looked behind some trees.

In a small clearing, deep within the forest, I saw two beings there, facing each other.One of them was a female, wearing clothes that a scavenger would wear on a desolated planet far away, and she looked terrified facing the other, who was dressed in black from head to foot and was wearing a mask, a full helmet covering his face.I was in shock from what I saw him his hand.

A red lightsaber.Poe was right, this was the Jedi.

“The droid,” The man said aloud, moving around the girl to stand behind her and the saber was still out, having me then notice that the girl as frozen there, not able to move.The Force was being used on her, he was using it against her and keeping it still as he raised his saber to be near her neck, ”Where is it?”

I was not meant to be caught up in this, but when he mentioned the droid, I would have to assume that he was meaning BB-8.So far, he didn’t find our droid and that was a victory in my book then, but I then had to realize that I could not stay here for long. He might know I was there, and I slowly started to move back and out of the way and over to find BB-8 then.This was now where I was meant to be, I was mean to be somewhere else and away from the harm.But once again, I felt a strange pull to the masked man, almost like I knew him but I didn’t.It didn’t make sense at all to me.

I had a mission to do. 

I finally stopped in another part of the forest, having to close my eyes and finally use The Force to find the droid.He must be hiding, away from the others if he knew that he was important and not meant to be captured.I tried to think of the small droid, picturing him in my head and finding him wherever he was.It was hard at first since I haven’t used the Force like this since I was a little girl and it was almost a rusty trade for me to do.

_Beep! Beep!_

I opened my eyes, right in front of me on the ground and looking up at me, was BB-8.

“BB-8!You’re here!” I said in a gasp as I fell to my knees and he rolled over to me, having me hug him.I was relieved to find him here in the forest.He chirped against me as I felt him snuggle into me more.

“He’s looking for you too, he misses his friend.Come on, we can get back to him!” I said to him as I got up and I started to run back over to the main area of the Temple. BB-8 rolling right behind me.We were running fast at that point then, not slowing down one bit as I could hear more and more blasts coming from the area where we were going. 

“Stay with me, don’t lose me!” I said to BB-8 as we were making it to the clearing again and I saw more of the action still happening.But it was in our favor, TIE fighters were backing off and our X-Wings were circling around to keep the place at bay.That meant my mother was going to be coming soon, and I ran with BB-8 over to the heart of the rubble and battle.There were still a couple of more Stormtroopers out and about now as I got there, BB-8 right on my tail and not losing my sight as I shot at some of the Stormtroopers that were there.

“Neyli!” I whirled around, hearing my voice and knowing whom that belonged.I saw him, a man whom I didn’t think I would see in years.My father.

“Dad!” I said in a panic, a stormtrooper was about to shoot him from behind and I got to him first, Chewbacca was right behind him and they both looked in surprise now as I jogged over to them now.He looked older beyond his years, almost seasoned really and worn out as I approached him, rifle still in my hand and looking a bit out of it myself.

“You look good,” I commented to him, BB-8 chirping behind me and I looked down at him.

“We’ll get you to Poe, I promise,” I reassured him as I heard Chewbacca grumble at me now with a warmth there.I had to smile at the old friend there, a member or our family whether I knew it or not.

“Good to see you too, Chewbacca,” I said to him, seeing him grin and nod his head.I felt then it again, the shift within my chest and it made me stumble a bit now as I felt it like a thirst against my heart, making me look over my shoulder now and see the black masked man, carrying the girl who was now unconscious, into his main TIE fighter.I moved away from my father and Chewbacca, BB-8 staying with him and hiding a bit now as I watched, the man in black stopping his walk and handing the unconscious girl to another stormtrooper now as he turned.He looked right at me.

He saw me.

He threw up his hand, the Force grabbing me like a death grip and I was being pulled over to him, my rifle dropping in the process.I gruntedand was trying to move out of it and I tried to remember my training again, thinking that I had to find my way out of it as I was getting closer and closer to him, not wanting to have it be my death.Not yet.I remembered, not to get out of it, throwing it back at him.I concentrated, glaring at the man and shooting my own hand out at him to throw out my own usage. 

It worked.

I fell to the floor in a stop and he stumbled a bit, losing his grip on me now asI stood up again with no weapon and was trying to hold my ground.I was about to run away, but he then said something else that gave me a chill and almost made me panic.

“The pilot I’ve captured,” He said in his menacing tone, having me freeze to think that he was talking about Poe, “You’re the girl I saw in his head.”

“REY!NO!REY!” Someone was running our way now, another human who was bolting over to the TIE fighter the masked man was in.We both looked to see him running for dear life, but when I looked back, the door the up and the TIE fighter was already in the air.The man who was running, he stopped next to me as we watched the TIE fighter fly off with the others from the First Order.

He was gone. 


End file.
